Smile For Me (Student/Teacher)

Ownership

I didn't know what I was doing, I was too in the zone to realize what it was I was painting until the doorbell rang. I was in the living room, my easel set up and my oils no longer organized and upright.

I jumped into reality at the noise, looking at my portrait. Oh goodness, it didn't suck, I was happy about that. A chiseled jaw, straight nose, pretty blue eyes... I had painted Andy.

Another ring of the doorbell, and I dropped my paintbrush and rushed to see who it was. Speaking of Andy...

"What are you doing here?" I asked in shock.

Typical him, though. Coming to the house when I was actually there. He was one good-timed man. "I was at a floral shop in Dallas and thought about you, so..." He pulled his hands from behind his back and showed me a bright bouquet of flowers.

I smiled at him, typical romantic Andy. "Sorry- I know you don't like the mushy stuff..." He said awkwardly and I shook my head, grabbing him and pulling him inside with me.

"Thank you." I told him as we hugged.

He looked over my head and I turned, realizing he had spotted my painting. I blushed. How coincidental of him to stop by when I was actually there, and painting him.

"Dang, this is really good." He said, walking over to it.

I placed the flowers down on the counter before following him and watched him stare at it. He looked at me, "This really is amazing." Then he smiled, "You painted me."

"Yeah..." I said shyly and he put his arm around me.

"You're amazing."

I looked up at him, waiting for him to kiss me, and when he did I was not disappointed. I never was.

"You're too nice to me." I said with an honest sigh.

Andy put his hands through my hair, a casual smile placed in his perfect lips. "No, you deserve the best." He said in honesty.

But I didn't. I didn't deserve anyone if I was just going to string them along. I felt like I had been neglecting Andy, and he didn't deserve that. He pat my cheek, seeming to see the thought in my eyes, "Hey." He said sweetly and I looked back in his. "I mean it."

I gave him a smile, wishing for a second that my guilt would go away and I could just be with Andy for the time being. For the time being. He was buying me the world and there I was, waiting to go to another man's home. "Come on, let's get the flowers in some water." He turned me around and we walked to the kitchen where I found the flowers a vase and set them in the center of the island counter.

He was too good to me.

We sat across each other at the kitchen table and just talked. I loved talking to him because he just knew so much about the world, about politics. I loved listening to him and his passionate opinions on what was right and wrong. That was when I realized how good of a person Andy was.

We drifted to talking about college. Oh shit, college. I hadn't even been thinking much about it. Instead, I was too busy moping over how I loved two different people. That reminded me... Does Andy believe in love?

"I'm not sure anymore." I said honestly when he asked about school. "I mean, of course the whole doctor or lawyer thing sounds nice. It runs in the family." I muttered. "But I don't even know if that's where I belong."

"I started out thinking I was going to be a lawyer." He said, which was news to me. "It's okay to go out without a main goal, instead start with something until you get the idea. It's okay to change what you want in college. I did it almost four times until I realized it was business I wanted to do."